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Lot Essay
Simultaneously energetic, chaotic and organized, Neil House with Chimney #2 is a remarkable work by self-taught artist William Hawkins (1895-1990). This three-dimensional architectural piece is painted in Hawkins' trademark bold style with a strong color palette and flattened perspective. Hawkins built out the smokestack seen on the left side of the composition, which extends past the upper edge, emphasizing its presence. Behind it, a series of buildings constructed using graphic repetitive windows are surmounted by a sign reading ‘NEIL HOUSE / COLumbuS’.
Hawkins painted large-scale images depicting animals, architecture, religious scenes and well-known events. Neil House with Chimney #2 depicts a landmark hotel located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It stood in the city’s Capitol Square from 1842 until 1980.
Born on a farm near Lexington, Kentucky, Hawkins moved to Columbus in 1916. He certainly would have been familiar with Neil House and its 200-foot smokestack that was a prominent feature of the city’s skyline. Hawkins conveys the variety of construction materials through his brushstrokes, depicting the smooth concrete painted in solid blue contrasting the layered brick in short lines. His quick brushstrokes extend into the border and surrounds the picture. Below, Hawkins paints an abstracted car and collages figures and a dog from old printed sources.
When Hawkins moved to Columbus, he held several different jobs, including working as a truck driver, a plumber, and running a brothel. He also hauled salvaged materials and other construction supplies which gave him access and understanding of the mediums he used in his artworks. In 1982, he submitted one of his paintings to the Ohio State Fair and won first prize, leading to further recognition of his work. As noted, he spent his early years on a farm, which influenced much of his work with animals being a reoccurring subject of it. The Columbus cityscape also became a familiar subject in his paintings. Other works by Hawkins also depicting Neil House are Neil House with Chimney #1 (American Folk Art Museum, New York, accession no. 1988.19.1), and a sketch of Neil House (Susan M. Crawley, et. al., exhibition catalogue, William L. Hawkins: An Imaginative Geography (Milan, 2018), no. 31).
Hawkins painted large-scale images depicting animals, architecture, religious scenes and well-known events. Neil House with Chimney #2 depicts a landmark hotel located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It stood in the city’s Capitol Square from 1842 until 1980.
Born on a farm near Lexington, Kentucky, Hawkins moved to Columbus in 1916. He certainly would have been familiar with Neil House and its 200-foot smokestack that was a prominent feature of the city’s skyline. Hawkins conveys the variety of construction materials through his brushstrokes, depicting the smooth concrete painted in solid blue contrasting the layered brick in short lines. His quick brushstrokes extend into the border and surrounds the picture. Below, Hawkins paints an abstracted car and collages figures and a dog from old printed sources.
When Hawkins moved to Columbus, he held several different jobs, including working as a truck driver, a plumber, and running a brothel. He also hauled salvaged materials and other construction supplies which gave him access and understanding of the mediums he used in his artworks. In 1982, he submitted one of his paintings to the Ohio State Fair and won first prize, leading to further recognition of his work. As noted, he spent his early years on a farm, which influenced much of his work with animals being a reoccurring subject of it. The Columbus cityscape also became a familiar subject in his paintings. Other works by Hawkins also depicting Neil House are Neil House with Chimney #1 (American Folk Art Museum, New York, accession no. 1988.19.1), and a sketch of Neil House (Susan M. Crawley, et. al., exhibition catalogue, William L. Hawkins: An Imaginative Geography (Milan, 2018), no. 31).